Gary-Summer: May 4, 2019 - East End of Yosemite Valle

Saturday, May 4, 2019

May 4, 2019 - East End of Yosemite Valle

Title: May 4, 2019 - East End of Yosemite Valley or A Creek Runs Through It
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Camp Curry parking area

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Valley Loop Trail

Destination: Yosemite Falls, Loop

Actual Destination: Yosemite Falls

Distance: 10.3 miles ¹

Start Time: 9:30

End Time: 5:30

Elevation Gain: 1,676’

^{1 Looks like the the GPS did not accurately pick up the points, particularly within Tenaya Canyon. Consequently the points recorded were way off and could not be used accurately. The data above is derived from plotting the route on Google Earth.}

Description:

Staircase Falls

I got up at 5:15 and we left the house a little after 6:00. 10 out of 11 people show up-the 11th turns out thought she had dropped out of the hike. We left Fresno at 6:40. Jessi is riding with Sherri, Steven and I. We get to Oakhurst at 7:25, filling up with Starbucks and picking up Sonya. Then it is off to Yosemite with a brief stop at Chinquapin for taking care of some personal business. The line getting into Yosemite was surprising short-about a ten minute wait. Pays to go early. Camp Curry comings into view around 9:15.

A concern which I have is that parts of the Valley can be very wet during the Spring. With as much water as we have had this year, this concern can become a reality.

Merced River from Happy Isles

After taking a group picture, the ten of us start off. We went through Camp Curry and hit the road to Happy Isles. Normally when we hit the backpacker’s parking lot, we will take a back way in. But there is usually some water on the trail, so we just continue up the road. At Happy Isles, we stop for some personal maintenance before setting out.

Coming into Yosemite, we started noticing dogwoods along Highway 41. We were wondering if it would be too early for them in the Valley. The answer is NO! They are everywhere, from eye level to 30-40’ off the ground. The effect is mesmerizing. So many of them and they are at full bloom. We certainly hit it right for the dogwoods. What a wonderful year.

Tenaya Creek

We walk on the Valley Loop Trail, on the easternmost side of the Valley. Already the cameras are coming out. The dogwoods are really putting on a show. We come to the junction where I know I will need to make a decision-do we go around Mirror Lake or go directly to Mirror Lake up the road? Sherri asks a woman who just came down the trail if she has gone around the lake? Yes. How passable is it? My shoes are dry. Maybe taking advice from strangers may not be a good idea.


Washington Column

So off we go. I stay back with the photographers. The rest are quickly out of sight. But the photographers are enamoured by the blossoms and falls. They are always finding a better perspective.

Seasonal Water Fall

Seasonal Waterfall

We pass by Mirror Lake with the obligatory stopping for pictures. By now, the three of us are well behind the rest of the group. But there is so many more pictures to be taken.

Use Trail

We get to Ahwiyah Point rock fall. And now things get interesting. What I feared occurs. The trail is flooded. But there is a use trail around this section. This statement is a bit misleading on two counts. First the around is at least a quarter mile long. Which leads to the second point. The word "trail" conjures up an image of a well manicured path through lovely trees. While others have gone this way and several are following us, this is a route going over rocks, under fallen trees and through brush, climbing up about 50' above the real trail.

Tenaya Creek

We successfully scrambled over this, taking awhile to get around the flooded area. The reason for all the water? The Tenaya Creek has found a temporary route down the trail. So with apologies to Norman MacLean, I am titling this hike as A Creek Runs Through It. The three of us have a discussion about how far it was-300 yards or a quarter mile. So what is the difference? 100 yards.

How far back are we? I hope to catch up to the group at the bridge. But getting to the bridge, no group. But more pictures. Which means a bit more waiting. I do voice a concern about how far ahead the rest of the group is and a nudge to move on.

Illilouette Falls

We pass by the Snow Creek Trail and continue on. But there is so much to enjoy our walk is interrupted with more observations, both of the memory type and the photographic. We finally come up to Mirror Lake and catch up with the rest of the group. They have been waiting about 90 minutes.

After a brief lunch-I had Sherri's and Steven's-we are off again. We backtracked to the Stables Trail and take off up it. Now it is a bit up, but not much. It goes over a ridge where Indian Caves are-we do not see them, but Jody has been too them. She talked some about the legends associated with them.

As we come down the ridge, there is a pit toilet which people makes us of. The consensus is that they are yucky, but functional.

Now the question is what do we want to do to finish up the hike? The Ahwahnee? Yosemite Falls? Straight back to Camp Curry? Yosemite Falls wins. No need to stop at the Ahwahnee. 2.5 miles more, according to the sign.

We make some pretty good progress. After awhile, three young ladies pass us by and ask me about Royal Arches. I give them a general location and tell them that it is better from across the way. In unison, they say, “Thank you John Muir.” Sherri had put them up to it.

In a short order, we go under Royal Arches. Then get to cross Royal Arches Creek. There is enough water to make things interesting, but not very dangerous. The worst which will happen is we will get our ankles wet. But we all make it across safely. The Ahwahnee is close by, but we do not stop.

But on the north end of Ahwahnee Meadow, there is a bathroom, which we stop to give everybody an opportunity to take advantage of it-nobody does. The three ladies are there and we talk for a few and I direct them to the south end of Ahwahnee Meadow for a better viewing of Royal Arches and they scurry off.

Rattlesnake on trail - Photo by Sonya

Now for the big excitement for the day. For those of you who do not know where we are, we are only about 100-125 yards from Yosemite Village, the main place where you are going to have visitors-only about 150’ from the medical clinic and are on a paved trail where there is virtually a continuous stream of people during the summer. Sonya sees a snake, a cute, baby rattlesnake close to Steven’s feet. Steven is able to get out of the way when the snake lashes out. But that was close. I expect something like this in less populated areas, not here. Just goes to show Yosemite is a wild, even in the more populous parts.

Now we go behind the village, but re-emerge in front of the Visitor Center. We do not stop there, but continue on. But we do stop at the Yosemite Cemetery-or more properly known as the Pioneer Cemetery. Here many of the pioneers of Yosemite are buried: Clark, Hutchings, Lamon-not Muir though. We are a bit fascinated by the graves.

Yosemite Falls and Lost Arrow

Then we move on back up to the Valley Loop Trail. This brings us to the Falls. While I have seen more spray than this, it was wet enough for me. Nobody sticks around for very long to get wet. I think we are beginning to get tired. Being cold, wet and tired just does not sound fun. But the Falls are so awesome. Even coming up into the Falls, Lost Arrow standing, shining in the sun besides the spray of Yosemite Falls gives us all pause to appreciate how special this place is. I told the group to lookout slacklining Lost Arrow for some excitement.

Yosemite Creek

Now we come down from the Falls base towards Northside Drive. But first, it is time for a bathroom break-flush toilets here. Yipee! After all have gathered, we go over to where the buses load. When the bus pulls up, I count off eight people from our group getting on board. Wait! Didn’t we start with ten? Oh yeah the two photographers are still looking around. I tell the others to go ahead and I will catch the next bus. One photographer comes up. Then just before the bus is going to take off, the other one comes up. We ride around for the next 20 minutes until we get back to Camp Curry and our cars.

Yosemite Falls

Now comes the hardest part of the whole trip-getting out of Yosemite Valley. Fortunately it is too early in the season for the Yosemite Gridlock to take place. But we just get in line and progress through. Until Camp 4, we move at 10-15 mph, but then it becomes the usually trip out. On the way back, we stop in Oakhurst at Plazuelas Mexican Restaurant. See below for more. We get to Fresno, tired and happy. When I start to unpack, I find a mysterious wallet in my backpack. Sunday, we reunite the wallet with its owner. A pretty good trip.

Trail Lesson:

Definitely not one of the one line spify statements which usually come under “Trail Lesson”. But definitely something which I am pondering. We have a couple of photographers on this trip. That is really a good thing. I learn so much from watching others taking pictures. Both from the standpoint of the craft, but also seeing things from a different perspective.

But to do the craft right takes time. A few minutes here and a few minutes there adds up. The trick to giving people time to do their craft while respecting the time of the non-photographers, so they do not have to wait a long time, I have yet to master. I have much to learn as an organizer of hikers.

Background

Plazuelas Mexican Restaurant This is a mixed review and I suspect that with a smaller group than nine people, the review would have been different. My group came in after hiking 10 miles in Yosemite, hungry, but jovial. The positive, the food was delivered fast and it tasted really good. For the food, I would go again. I had a plain chicken burrito and enjoyed it. But I suspect that Plazuelas was not accustomed to serving that many people at once. They seemed to charge extra for each and every item-extra chips, $2.50. You want sour cream a couple of dollars more. Just put a damper on how we felt about the place.

Lost Arrow. During our hike, I mentioned that for a real thrill, to Google SlackLine Lost Arrow. Two which might be of interest is the first woman who slackedline-she falls a couple of times. The other is a person who free walks the slackline-it shows how the slackline is set up..

Extra Photo's